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The BirdGuides Podcast

BirdGuides

The BirdGuides Podcast is the ultimate audio hub for birdwatching – wherever you are and whatever your experience. We discuss the latest sightings and stories, speak to the biggest birding names, delve into the best hot-spots and birding countries, remember famous moments, talk all things ID and so much more. The BirdGuides Podcast helps connects you to the birds, the places and the people that make the hobby so special.

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  • 5 episodes
  • Updated Yesterday

Episodes5

Newest first
  • Yesterday · 43 min

    Celebrating August – the perfect month for patch birding!

    Welcome to the fifth episode of The BirdGuides Podcast. August is here and it's an epic time to get out on your local patch! In the latest episode, David, Josh and Ian chat all things patch and local birding in the month of August, from waders and Whinchats to skywatching and seabirding. In this episode From Wood Sandpiper to European Golden Plover, which waders should be on your August radar? Going through gulls and other waterbirds. Why seawatching and skywatching can be rewarding. Finding good habitat in your local area. Looking for passerine migrants. Episode timestamps 01:10 – Why is August so good for patch birding? 06:00 – wonderful waders 17:15 – going through gulls 21:00 – August seawatching 22:20 – eyes to the skies 27:30 – finding good habitat in your area 32:05 – Whinchat, a classic August bird 36:25 – favourite August patch memories Links Buy The Complete Guide to Patch Birding from the BirdGuides Bookshop. Get in touch by emailing podcast@birdguides.com Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. Tell us about your own memories of August patch birding and what you hope to see this month! How to stay connected 📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play. 💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com. 📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday. Follow us on social media: 📸 Instagram: @_birdguides 👥 Facebook: BirdGuides 🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social 🐦 X (Twitter): BirdGuides Support the show Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show! The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.

  • July 29 · 50 min

    Bad news for dotterel, good news for heathland birds and remembering Bill Oddie

    Welcome to the fourth episode of The BirdGuides Podcast! Join Josh Jones and David Campbell as they reflect on Bill Oddie's sad recent passing and dissect some of the biggest birding stories of recent weeks, including the plight of Britain's breeding Eurasian Dotterel, the tickability of Bearded Vulture, the latest rarity news and much more. In this episode Remembering Bill Oddie, Britain’s best-known birder and long-time Birdwatch contributor. Thoughts on the recent Eurasian Dotterel survey results, with the species precarious status as a breeding bird at risk. Positive news from the Heathland Bird Survey with increases and expansions. Bearded Vulture is now tickable in the Netherlands – should it be in Britain as well? A mega Common Redstart × Black Redstart hybrid in Wales. Britain’s second Long-tailed Shrike, night herons arrive, big Wilson's Storm Petrel counts and the latest rarity news. Episode timestamps 03:15 remembering Bill Oddie who sadly passed away on Monday 08:25 dotterel in trouble? Worrying trends form the recent survey of Britain's breeding population 21:55 break 22:00 good news from the 2025 Heathland Bird Survey 31:05 redstart hybrid in Wales 36:05 Bearded Vulture tickable in the Netherlands. Britain next? 43:30 latest rarity news including another Long-tailed Shrike Links Get in touch by emailing podcast@birdguides.com Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast Enjoyed our second episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. Tell us about your own encounters with dotterel and thoughts on the Heathland Bird Survey results on our socials! How to stay connected 📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play. 💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com. 📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday. Follow us on social media: 📸 Instagram: @_birdguides 👥 Facebook: BirdGuides 🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social 🐦 X (Twitter): BirdGuides Support the show Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show! The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications. Music by Matt Phelps. Common Redstart × Black Redstart recording by Dante Shepherd

  • July 22 · 39 min

    Remembering July rarities

    Welcome to the third episode of The BirdGuides Podcast! Join Josh Jones, David Campbell and Ian Lycett as they take a thrilling trip down memory lane to look back at the jaw-dropping mega rarities that have sent British twitchers into a frenzy during previous Julys. What you'll learn in this episode Why midsummer, typically thought of as a quiet time of year for birding, can deliver some of the rarest vagrants. The legend of Brean Down legend: we look back at the incredible story of the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross in 2007 Reliving the legendary first twitchable Amur Falcon in Cornwall that drew hundreds of birders overnight. The mega frigatebird photographed by tourists in Scotland Which mega species should you be scanning the skies and coastlines for right now? Episode timestamps 00:30 – write July off at your peril and favourite midsummer twitches 03:25 – the 2007 Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross, released in Somerset and touching down in Lincolnshire 06:20 – the 2013 Ascension Frigatebird in Scotland 09:30 – one rare tern deserves another 14:00– the Sheffield Audouin's Gull 21:00 – time for another Caspian Plover? 24:07 – break 24:30 – Amur Falcon twitch 28:30 – Fair Isle's Brown Flycatcher in 1992 34:32 – what to seek out in July Links Get in touch by emailing podcast@birdguides.com Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast Enjoyed our second episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. Tell us your own memories of Global Birdfair 2026 and whether you have seen any of July's mega rarities on our socials! How to stay connected 📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play. 💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com. 📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday. Follow us on social media: 📸 Instagram: @_birdguides 👥 Facebook: BirdGuides 🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social 🐦 X (Twitter): BirdGuides Support the show Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show! The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications. Music by Matt Phelps

  • July 17 · 41 min

    Global Birdfair thoughts and stunning midsummer megas!

    Welcome to the second episode of The BirdGuides Podcast! Join your regular hosts Josh Jones, David Campbell and Ian Lycett as they discuss the recent midsummer megas, including Long-tailed Shrike and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, and reflect on Global Birdfair 2026. What you'll learn in this episode Global Birdfair 2026 thoughts: what did the guys make of this year's event? Britain's second Long-tailed Shrike. Hear about David and Josh's epic twitch to Fife. This week's Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Orkney is discussed. The Hudsonian Godwit in East Anglia and other midsummer surprises. Episode timestamps 00:30 – Global Birdfair 2026: thoughts and reflections 09:00 – Ian and David go birding on Josh's patch 12:10 – Britain's second Long-tailed Shrike turns up in Fife 22:15 – break 22:20 – Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Orkney 27:40 – Hudsonian Godwit and other recent rarities Links Get in touch by emailing podcast@birdguides.com Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast Contact Josh, David or Ian directly via the BirdGuides Team page Enjoyed our second episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. Tell us your own memories of Global Birdfair 2026 and whether you have seen any of July's mega rarities on our socials! How to stay connected 📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play. 💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com. 📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday. Follow us on social media: 📸 Instagram: @_birdguides 👥 Facebook: BirdGuides 🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social 🐦 X (Twitter): BirdGuides Support the show Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show! The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications. Music by Matt Phelps

  • July 15 · 35 min

    Welcome to The BirdGuides Podcast

    Welcome to the very first episode of The BirdGuides Podcast! Join your regular hosts Josh Jones, David Campbell and Ian Lycett as they introduce the show, share their birdwatching backgrounds and discuss the future of the ultimate audio hub for birdwatchers. Whether you are a casual patch birder in the UK or a big global lister, this episode sets the stage for our upcoming birding adventures. What you'll learn in this episode Meet the team: get to know the birding histories and local patches of Josh, David and Ian. The podcast vision: what to expect from future episodes. Global vs local: discussions on everything between British twitching and exploring the world’s birds. Latest news and sightings: from Wood Sandpiper and Common Quail influxes to Britain’s first Western Reef Heron Episode timestamps 00:00 – welcome to the The BirdGuides Podcast 02:25 – meet David Campbell and Ian Lycett: formative birding moments and their local patches 11:20 – recent trips to Western Sahara, Finland and Sri Lanka and autumn birding plans 17:20 – meet Josh Jones: birding from a young age and a previous twitching life 24:50 – break 25:00 – looking back at spring and summer 2026, from Wood Sandpiper influxes to mega rarities 28:55 – the summer 2026 Common Quail influx including a close encounter for Josh 32:35 – Britain’s first Western Reef Heron in Wales stuns twitchers Links Get in touch by emailing podcast@birdguides.com Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast Contact Josh, David or Ian directly via the BirdGuides Team page Enjoyed our debut episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. Tell us your own 'spark bird' story and about your local patch on our socials! How to stay connected 📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play. 💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com/podcast. 📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday. Follow us on social media: 📸 Instagram: @_birdguides 👥 Facebook: BirdGuides 🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social 🐦 X (Twitter): BirdGuides Support the show Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show! The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.